President Obama met with community bank leaders at the White House on Tuesday and pressed them to boost lending. Yet in a year in which some 140 community banks have been forced to close, the focus among small lenders is often more about keeping afloat. Continue reading →

In the latest report of his Making Sen$e series, Paul Solman talks to New York Times economics reporter Ed Andrews, who chronicles his personal tale of the mortgage crisis in “Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown.” Continue reading →

Question: I’ve been watching the difficulties the government has had propping up the banks — the lack of control, the salaries, the fact that they’re trying to fix entities with a lot of toxicity on their balance sheets. The following … Continue reading →

Question: I am a commercial mortgage broker in California. I have had nearly every bank recently advise that their examiners are preventing them from lending. How can we get out of this mess if the examiners, in effect, prevent the … Continue reading →

You can watch one of Paul’s recent Making $ense pieces, The Paradox of Thrift, below. Here are a few reader reactions and Paul’s responses. Question: I have a question related to your recent segment, Paradox of Thrift: Aren’t the allegedly … Continue reading →

President Barack Obama put his support Thursday behind a credit card law that will regulate the sudden rate increases and late fees that cause financial trouble for millions of consumers. A financial reporter mulls the state of U.S. credit and debt. Continue reading →